The author selected two cities in each state (one small and one large) and sent a letter recently to the superintendents of schools in these cities, requesting information concerning their inservice offerings in reading and a copy of the evaluation document used in that city\u27s school district

Criscuolo, Nicholas P

English

ScholarWorks at WMU

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and 
Language Arts 
Volume 24 
Issue 3 April 1984 Article 8 
4-1-1984 
Professional Reading Development and the Evaluative Process: A 
Call to Action 
Nicholas P. Criscuolo 
New Haven Public Schools, Connecticut 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons 
 Part of the Education Commons 
Recommended Citation 
Criscuolo, N. P. (1984). Professional Reading Development and the Evaluative Process: A Call to Action. 
Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 24 (3). Retrieved from 
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol24/iss3/8 
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by 
the Special Education and Literacy Studies at 
ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion 
in Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language 
Arts by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at WMU. 
For more information, please contact wmu-
scholarworks@wmich.edu. 
PROFESSIONAL READING 
DEVELOPMENT AND THE 
EVALUATIVE PROCESS: 
A CALL TO ACTION 
Nicholas P. Criscuolo 
SUPERVISOR OF READING, NEW HAVEN (CONN.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS 
One of the cornerstones of gocxi teaching is an effort to 
keep abreast of the latest developments in all areas of the curri-
culum. There are ffi311y ways this can be accomplished: reading 
journal articles, attending meetings and conferences, and partici-
pating in staff development programs offered by the school district. 
These activities are likely to enhance one's teaching skills which 
will ultimately benefit students. 
In the area of reading instruction, there is another viable 
way teachers can upgrade their teaching competencies, and t,hat 
is to join the International Reading Association, the National 
Council of Teachers of English, and similar organizations. Members 
of these organizations receive journals that contain a good mix 
of practical and theoretical articles, newsletters and other publi-
cations designed to broaden one's knowledge of reading instruction. 
In addition to annual conferences, there are state conferences, 
regional conferences, seminars and local council meetings held 
on a regular basis. These meetings are designed to bring fresh 
and useful inforrmtion to classroom teachers and reading personnel. 
All of us have had the experience of feeling exhilarated after 
attending some of these meetings and our attendance has resulted 
in positive change and revitalization in our work with students. 
Few would dispute the advisability or benefits that accrue 
to those who join professional organizations. Two pertinent ques-
tions, however, emerge: "Are classroom and reading teachers truly 
encouraged to join a professional reading organization?" and "Are 
they encouraged at the school-district level to attend reading 
meetings, conferences, and to participate in other inservice read-
ing programs?" 
These questions are interesting and ones which call for some 
examination. One must start with a basic premise: all practitioners 
in reading programs have one thing in corrmon-their performmce 
is evaluated. Evaluation is crucial since its purpose is to assess 
a teacher's effectiveness and ability to teach youngsters how 
to read proficiently. 
Since all teachers are evaluated~st on a yearly basis 
-it is logical to assume that membership in a professional reading 
organization and attendance at reading meetings and conferences 
194-rh 
are not only worthwhile enterprises but ones which should serve 
as important criteria in the evaluative process? In other words, 
should t,hcsc ;lctivities be included in a school district's evalm-
tinn onrllmrnt;,') 'T'hr 7l;,;'11mpt,inn hrrr-,'mo it is nnt r:t f,r-fptrhPrl 
one-is that if these activities were an integral part of the 
evaluative process more teachers would participate in them. 
With these considerations in mind, the author selected two 
cities in each state (one small and one large) and sent a letter 
recently to the superintendents of schools in these cities, re-
questing information concerning their inservice offerings in 
reading and a copy of the evaluation document used in that city's 
school district. 
A total of 100 letters were mailed, and 41 responses were 
received. The responses were from 27 different states representing 
a geographic balance of all parts of the country. The largest 
school district.s responding were Milwaukee, Houston, New Orleans, 
Baltimore, St. Louis, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Providence, and 
Honolulu. The smallest cities responding were Allentown, Penna., 
Roseburg, Ore., Suffolk, Va., Parkersburg, W.V., and Oxnard, Calif. 
The remaining 27 school districts submitting their evaluation 
documents tended to be larger rather than smaller in terms of 
school population. 
The length and scope of the documents submitted varied quite 
widely. Some were extremely detailed while others (a small number) 
were one page and rather sketchy. Essentially, the evaluati ve 
instruments fell into the following broad categories (with at 
least two common examples included for each): 
Interpersonal Relationships 
Exhibits positive relationships with all school 
personnel (teamwork) 
Promotes self-image in students 
Instructional Competency 
Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of 
curriculum and content 
Encourages creativity and divergent thinking 
Learning Environment 
Maintains classroom control 
Maintains a positive learning climate 
Meets needs of individual students 
Personal Characteristics 
Is punctual 
Demonstrates physical health and emotional stability 
Meets deadlines 
School-Community Relations 
Establishes communication with parents 
(Sch.-Comm. Relations cont'd) 
Develops and coordinates an effective school 
advisory process 
Professional Growth 
Reads professional books and magazines, takes 
course, attends meetings voluntarily 
Demonstrates professionalism and professional 
growth 
rh-195 
It is interesting to note that more commonality than diversity 
exists among school systems in the manner in which teachers are 
evaluated. Most use the "S" (Satisfactory) and "U" (Unsatisfactory) 
system. Others used a bit more detailed system, i.e., Unsatisfac-
tory, Needs Improvement, Satisfactory, Good, Superior. 
Examination of the documents, while indicating common charac-
teristics and components used to evaluate teachers, vary the most 
in two areas: 1) parent relationships, and 2) professional growth. 
Not all school districts responding included these two important 
areas. 
While most do evaluate teachers in terms of their ability 
to corrmunicate with parents, some ignore the corrmunity. A con-
structive suggestion would be to have school districts add the 
following statement: 
"Maintains a cooperative relationship 
with parents and the corrmunity." 
Since professional growth is a powerful antidote to stagnation 
and sterility in the teaching process, it is crucial that all 
school districts includea specific criteria regarding professional 
growth as a basis for evaluating teachers. The Houston Independent 
School District uses the following criterion which the author 
feels has application for all school districts: 
"Keeps abreast of educational developnents on the 
national, state and '')cal levels." 
This criterion is important because it encourages teachers 
to attend meetings outside as well as inside their school districts 
to achieve professional growth. In the area of reading, for example, 
teachers would be encouraged to attend NCTE and IRA conventions, 
as well as regional, state and local council meetings since attend-
ance at such meetings would be part of the evaluative process. 
Regarding inservice, most school districts indicated that 
they formulate plans based on the needs of their individual school 
districts. Plans and requirements vary widely and are not readily 
generalizable. The writer would like to state, however, that he 
was impressed with the catalog; of inservice offerings sent by 
Milwaukee. This catalog is impressive in its scope and diversity 
and offers teachers a wide sampling of inservice opportunities 
on a credit basis (tied to salary increments) in every aspect 
of the curriculum. 
196-rh 
In summary, it is disheartening to note the complete absence 
of any reference in the evaluation documents studied regarding 
membership of t,c;nc:hc;r" in profc;,,;;i on-=J 1 orr:.-=Jni7:.'lt.i nns. pnC".it.i v .. 
~t "pc.... ..r" n"(''';.~,ry in nmcr tn imprnv(' thr' r'lJrrcnt :::i tUJt ion 
as revealed by this survey. Therefore, this investigator offers 
the following five calls to action: 
1. Professional reading organizations should draft a position 
statement outlining this apparent void in professional reading 
developnent and encouraging school district officials to include 
membership in such organizations as part of the evaluative process. 
2. School districts should offer inservice credits for member-
ship in a professional reading organization and attendance and/or 
participation at an annual or national convention. 
3. Reading professionals should work with State Departments 
of Education in formulating specific guidelines which encourage 
teachers to attend local and state reading meetings and conferences. 
4. Since literacy is a top priority, it is crucial that admin-
istrators be made aware of the advantages of professional reading 
developnent that accrue both to themselves and their instructional 
staffs. 
5. Leaders in the reading corrmunity can take a leadership 
role in this endeavor by ascertaining the meeting dates and loca-
tions of administrators (principals and superintendents) and ask 
to make a brief presentation concerning the importance of profes-
sional reading developnent and to stress this importance by 
including it as an integral part of their evaluation documents. 
Professional developnent in reading can do a great deal to 
improve the quality of the instructional reading program at all 
levels. Teachers will be more responsive to joining professional 
reading organizations and participating in inservice reading pro-
grams if they know that these activities are part of the evaluative 
process. 


Professional Reading Development and the Evaluative Process: A Call to Action

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy andLanguage ArtsVolume 24Issue 3 April 1984 Article 84-1-1984Professional Reading Development and theEvaluative Process: A Call to ActionNicholas P. CriscuoloNew Haven Public Schools, ConnecticutFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizonsPart of the Education CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the SpecialEducation and Literacy Studies at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has beenaccepted for inclusion in Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy andLanguage Arts by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks at WMU. For moreinformation, please contact maira.bundza@wmich.edu.Recommended CitationCriscuolo, N. P. (1984). Professional Reading Development and the Evaluative Process: A Call to Action. Reading Horizons: A Journalof Literacy and Language Arts, 24 (3). Retrieved from https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reading_horizons/vol24/iss3/8PROFESSIONAL READING DEVELOPMENT AND THE EVALUATIVE PROCESS: A CALL TO ACTION Nicholas P. Criscuolo SUPERVISOR OF READING, NEW HAVEN (CONN.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS One of the cornerstones of gocxi teaching is an effort to keep abreast of the latest developments in all areas of the curri-culum. There are ffi311y ways this can be accomplished: reading journal articles, attending meetings and conferences, and partici-pating in staff development programs offered by the school district. These activities are likely to enhance one's teaching skills which will ultimately benefit students. In the area of reading instruction, there is another viable way teachers can upgrade their teaching competencies, and t,hat is to join the International Reading Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and similar organizations. Members of these organizations receive journals that contain a good mix of practical and theoretical articles, newsletters and other publi-cations designed to broaden one's knowledge of reading instruction. In addition to annual conferences, there are state conferences, regional conferences, seminars and local council meetings held on a regular basis. These meetings are designed to bring fresh and useful inforrmtion to classroom teachers and reading personnel. All of us have had the experience of feeling exhilarated after attending some of these meetings and our attendance has resulted in positive change and revitalization in our work with students. Few would dispute the advisability or benefits that accrue to those who join professional organizations. Two pertinent ques-tions, however, emerge: "Are classroom and reading teachers truly encouraged to join a professional reading organization?" and "Are they encouraged at the school-district level to attend reading meetings, conferences, and to participate in other inservice read-ing programs?" These questions are interesting and ones which call for some examination. One must start with a basic premise: all practitioners in reading programs have one thing in corrmon-their performmce is evaluated. Evaluation is crucial since its purpose is to assess a teacher's effectiveness and ability to teach youngsters how to read proficiently. Since all teachers are evaluated~st on a yearly basis -it is logical to assume that membership in a professional reading organization and attendance at reading meetings and conferences 194-rh are not only worthwhile enterprises but ones which should serve as important criteria in the evaluative process? In other words, should t,hcsc ;lctivities be included in a school district's evalm-tinn onrllmrnt;,') 'T'hr 7l;,;'11mpt,inn hrrr-,'mo it is nnt r:t f,r-fptrhPrl one-is that if these activities were an integral part of the evaluative process more teachers would participate in them. With these considerations in mind, the author selected two cities in each state (one small and one large) and sent a letter recently to the superintendents of schools in these cities, re-questing information concerning their inservice offerings in reading and a copy of the evaluation document used in that city's school district. A total of 100 letters were mailed, and 41 responses were received. The responses were from 27 different states representing a geographic balance of all parts of the country. The largest school district.s responding were Milwaukee, Houston, New Orleans, Baltimore, St. Louis, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Providence, and Honolulu. The smallest cities responding were Allentown, Penna., Roseburg, Ore., Suffolk, Va., Parkersburg, W.V., and Oxnard, Calif. The remaining 27 school districts submitting their evaluation documents tended to be larger rather than smaller in terms of school population. The length and scope of the documents submitted varied quite widely. Some were extremely detailed while others (a small number) were one page and rather sketchy. Essentially, the evaluati ve instruments fell into the following broad categories (with at least two common examples included for each): Interpersonal Relationships Exhibits positive relationships with all school personnel (teamwork) Promotes self-image in students Instructional Competency Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of curriculum and content Encourages creativity and divergent thinking Learning Environment Maintains classroom control Maintains a positive learning climate Meets needs of individual students Personal Characteristics Is punctual Demonstrates physical health and emotional stability Meets deadlines School-Community Relations Establishes communication with parents (Sch.-Comm. Relations cont'd) Develops and coordinates an effective school advisory process Professional Growth Reads professional books and magazines, takes course, attends meetings voluntarily Demonstrates professionalism and professional growth rh-195 It is interesting to note that more commonality than diversity exists among school systems in the manner in which teachers are evaluated. Most use the "S" (Satisfactory) and "U" (Unsatisfactory) system. Others used a bit more detailed system, i.e., Unsatisfac-tory, Needs Improvement, Satisfactory, Good, Superior. Examination of the documents, while indicating common charac-teristics and components used to evaluate teachers, vary the most in two areas: 1) parent relationships, and 2) professional growth. Not all school districts responding included these two important areas. While most do evaluate teachers in terms of their ability to corrmunicate with parents, some ignore the corrmunity. A con-structive suggestion would be to have school districts add the following statement: "Maintains a cooperative relationship with parents and the corrmunity." Since professional growth is a powerful antidote to stagnation and sterility in the teaching process, it is crucial that all school districts includea specific criteria regarding professional growth as a basis for evaluating teachers. The Houston Independent School District uses the following criterion which the author feels has application for all school districts: "Keeps abreast of educational developnents on the national, state and '')cal levels." This criterion is important because it encourages teachers to attend meetings outside as well as inside their school districts to achieve professional growth. In the area of reading, for example, teachers would be encouraged to attend NCTE and IRA conventions, as well as regional, state and local council meetings since attend-ance at such meetings would be part of the evaluative process. Regarding inservice, most school districts indicated that they formulate plans based on the needs of their individual school districts. Plans and requirements vary widely and are not readily generalizable. The writer would like to state, however, that he was impressed with the catalog; of inservice offerings sent by Milwaukee. This catalog is impressive in its scope and diversity and offers teachers a wide sampling of inservice opportunities on a credit basis (tied to salary increments) in every aspect of the curriculum. 196-rh In summary, it is disheartening to note the complete absence of any reference in the evaluation documents studied regarding membership of t,c;nc:hc;r" in profc;,,;;i on-=J 1 orr:.-=Jni7:.'lt.i nns. pnC".it.i v .. ~t "pc.... ..r" n"(''';.~,ry in nmcr tn imprnv(' thr' r'lJrrcnt :::i tUJt ion as revealed by this survey. Therefore, this investigator offers the following five calls to action: 1. Professional reading organizations should draft a position statement outlining this apparent void in professional reading developnent and encouraging school district officials to include membership in such organizations as part of the evaluative process. 2. School districts should offer inservice credits for member-ship in a professional reading organization and attendance and/or participation at an annual or national convention. 3. Reading professionals should work with State Departments of Education in formulating specific guidelines which encourage teachers to attend local and state reading meetings and conferences. 4. Since literacy is a top priority, it is crucial that admin-istrators be made aware of the advantages of professional reading developnent that accrue both to themselves and their instructional staffs. 5. Leaders in the reading corrmunity can take a leadership role in this endeavor by ascertaining the meeting dates and loca-tions of administrators (principals and superintendents) and ask to make a brief presentation concerning the importance of profes-sional reading developnent and to stress this importance by including it as an integral part of their evaluation documents. Professional developnent in reading can do a great deal to improve the quality of the instructional reading program at all levels. Teachers will be more responsive to joining professional reading organizations and participating in inservice reading pro-grams if they know that these activities are part of the evaluative process. 

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Professional Reading Development and the Evaluative Process: A Call to Action

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